Texas' Rick Perry jumps into presidential race

Texas Gov. Rick Perry speaks during the RedState Gathering, a meeting of conservative activists, where he announced his run for presidency in 2012 in Charleston, S.C., Aug. 13.

NBC's Carrie Dann reports in First Read:

Republicans in Iowa might be miffed that Gov. Rick Perry's official presidential announcement in South Carolina this afternoon is siphoning attention from the Ames Straw Poll, but the governor of the Palmetto State is smiling.

"I think his timing was brilliant," Gov. Nikki Haley told reporters after her remarks at the RedState Gathering in South Carolina, where Perry will speak later this afternoon. "I think to turn around and do this the same day that you've got an Ames Iowa poll just really lets us know that it's 'game on' time for all the candidates. And I love that."

Read more here and check out a slideshow of Perry's political career here.